The pain of arthritis: ‘It’s like a black cloud that’s always above us’

A survey by Revealing Realities for Arthritis Research UK, found 78% of people with arthritis are in pain most days and 57% in pain every day. This is why the charity is funding a wide variety of research into pain. Currently, people with osteoarthritis rely on painkillers, heat/cold therapy, weight management, exercise, steroid injections and, in extreme cases, joint replacement. For rheumatoid arthritis, drugs can dampen the immune system and slow or halt the disease; however, it can be trial and error to find the right drug. In many cases for both conditions, the pain is only dulled and not alleviated.